Railway switch controlling apparatus



Se t. 5, 1933. P. P. STOKER RAILWAY SWITCH CONTROLLING APPARATUS Original Filed March 30, 1932 @Qim wi v E m m w a5 mwmw Q U U KNE bsmwmwww QW NW W MN L N S m L up FW msmv @Rw u AN w M W R? EV Patented Sept. 5, 1933 I j RAILWAY sWrrorr CONTROLLING A APPARATUS Paul P. Stoker, Wilkinsburg, Pa., assignor to The Union Switch & Signal Company, Swissvale, .Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 30, 193.2, Serial No. 601,981 Renewed September 14, 1932 8 Claims. (Cl. 246-41) My invention relates to railway switch con- -in'dicatingdevice, the purpose of which is to trolling apparatus, and has for an object the indicatewhen a train is approaching Switch 1. provision of novel and improved means for in- This lamp is provided with a circuit whichpasses dicating the approach of a train to a switch and from terminal 13, through polar contact 18 of relay for locking the switch in response to the approach A, and the lamp E to terminal C. The circuit for 60 of such train. i I lamp E is provided wth a branch around polar 1' will describe one form of apparatus embodycontact 18, which branch includes a back neutral ing my invention, and will then point out the contact 17 of relay A. It follows that when relay novel features thereof in claims. A' is energizedin the normal direction lamp E The accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic Will be extinguished, but that this lamp will be 65 view showing one form of apparatus embodying lighted when relay A is energized in'the reverse my invention. i direction and also when relay A is deenergized.

Referring to the drawing, the reference char- A front neutral contact 16 of relay A controls acter F designates a stretch of railway track a slow releasing relay RZAP, through a circuit which is provided with a switch 1 leading into which will be obvious from the drawing. Front 70 a branch track F The track F is divided into contact 30 of track rel y B Co t a Slow track sections, such as 6T, A6T, etc, the section p mp r y P by virtue of a circuit which 1T being'the section which includes the switch will also be obvious from th drawin A C1- 1. Each track section is provided with a track ated with these relays is a signal repeater relay circuit comprising a battery D and a track relay RZGP; this re y is p d With a Circuit which 75 designated by thereference character TR with passes from terminal B through a contact'14 a suitable distinguishing prefix. Traiiic over operated by distant signal 4, contact 15 operated the switch 1 is governed by a signal R2 having a by arm 33 of signal R2, contact 31 operated by high speed arm 32 and a low speed arm 33, and arm 32 of signal R2, and thewinding of relay the high speed arm is provided with the usual RZGP to terminal C. Contact 14 is closed when 0 distant signal 4 located at the entrance end signal 4 indicates stop or caution, whereas each of track section 4T. contact 15 and 31 is closed when and only when Located adjacent the switch 1 is a polarized the associated signal armindicates stop. approach locking relay A. This relay is provided An approach locking relay R2MR is provided with a circuit which passes from terminal B of a with a pick-up circuit which passes from terminal suitable source of current, through front contact B, through front contact 20 of relay RZGP, front 11 of track relay 6TB, front contact 13 of track contact 19 of relayRZAP, and the winding of rerelay AGTR, front contact 13 of track relay 4TB, lay 32MB to terminal 0. Relay R2MR is-profront contact 13 of track relay A4TR, winding vi ed with a stick circuit which includes conof relay A, front contact 12 of each relay A4TR, tact 20 of relay RZGP and front contact 22 of 90 4TH and ASTRand front: contact 10 of track R2MR. Relay R2MR controls the switch 1 in relay GTR, to terminal C of the same source. such manner that the switch cannot be operated When this circuit is closedrelay A is supplied .unless this relay is energized.- As here shown, with current of normal polarity and polar 0011- the control of switch 1 is accomplished through- 40 tact 18 of this relay is then open. When track a switch control relay 1WR, which is provided section 5T is Oscllpied by a train, that'tmck. with a circuit including front contacts.23 and 24 relay 6TB is deenergizned the circuit for relay A ,of relay RZMR. This circuit .will also be coni be the 535mg bemre except that the relay trolled by a suitable lever at'the, control point, as r W111 be supphed E- Current of reverse polanty well as by other locking relays which arev not due to i .fact contaats 2 a 11 of essential to the disclosure of the present inven- 1 5 function as 9 Contact tion. The pick-up circuit for relay R2MR is prowili then be closed. When a train occupies any d b h d nt t 19 h one of the sections AbT, 4T and A41, so that the m i co W 10 corresponding track relay is deenergized, the branclf'mcludfes a Contact 2 r 50 circuit for relay A will be open 7 The p1ck-up Qllclllli for relay-32MB, is also pro- 10.) e Switch 1 is provided with a switchopemt vided with another branch around contact 19, ing mechanism i which will usually be which includes front contact 21 of a time'element trolled from a remote point, such as a despatchay T Th t element y, is p o ers office or an interlocking tower. Located at v with acircuit which Passes from terminal 13;

' such control pcint is a lamp E: or other suitable through contact2qfofrelay RzGP', back contact 22 of relay RZMR, and the winding of relay lTE to terminal C.

The operation of the apparatus shown in the drawing is as follows: In the absence of trains, relay A is energized in the normal direction, so that lamp E is extinguished. Relay RZMR is energized by its normal circuit through contacts 19 and 20, so that the switch 1 may be controlled. by the operator at the remote control point. When a train moving toward the right enters track section 6T, it will deenergize track relay 6TB, thereby causing current of reverse polarity to be supplied to relay A, so that lamp E will become lighted in response to the closing 01"; contact 18. This will have no effect, however, on the apparatus for locking the switch 1. When the train enters track section A6T it will deenergize track relay ABTR, thereby opening the circuit for relay A, and this circuit will remain open until the rear end of the train leaves section A iT. While relay A is deenergized, lamp E will be lighted by virtue of its circuit through back contact 1'7. The opening of contact 16 of relay A will deenergize relay RZAP, thereby opening at contact 19 the pick-up circuit for relay RZMR.

Assuming now that one of the signals is at proceed so that relay RZGP is deenergized, with the result that relay R2MR is also deenergized, then the restoration of such signal to stop and the consequent closing of relay R2GP will not cause relay RZMR to close. While relay RZMR is deenergized, switch relay IWR will be deenergized so that the switch cannot be moved.

Relays lTP, RZGP and lTE operate in the usual manner to permit the reenergi'zation of relay RZMR after relay RZGP closes. The functions and operation of these relays form no part of my present invention, however, and a detailed explanation of their operation is unnecessary in the present case. These elements are shown only to illustrate the manner in which relay A is applied to a standard switch control system.

It will be seen from the foregoing that by means of a single relay A and a single pair of line wires for controlling it, I have provided for the approach indication of a train, as well as for the locking of the switch in response to the approach of the train.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of apparatus embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I' claim is: V

1. In combination, a stretch of railway track containing a switch and provided with at least two'track sections successively occupied by a train approaching the switch, a track circuit including a track relay for each of said sections, a polar approach locking relay, means for supplying said polar relay with current of normal or reverse polarity according as the track relay for the section more remote from the switch is closed or open provided the other track relay is closed, and for deenergizing said polar relay when the said other track relay is open, means operating when said polar relay is deenergized and also when it is energized by current of reverse polarity but not when it is energized by current of normal polarity to indicate that one of said sections is occupied by a train, and locking means for said switch controlled by said polar relay and effective polar relay and effective when the relay is dewhen the relay is deenergized but not when it is energized by current of either polarity.

2. In combination, a stretch of railway track containing a switch and provided with at least two track sections successively occupied by a train approaching the switch, a polar approach locking relay, rneans for supplying said polar relay with current of normal or reverse polarity according as the section more remote from the switch is unoccupied or occupied provided the other section is unoccupied and for deenergizing the polar relay when said other section is unoccupied, means operating when said polar relay is deenergized and also when it is energized by current of reverse polarity but not when it is energized by current of normal polarity to indicate that one of said sections is occupied by a train, and locking means for said switch controlledby said polar relay and efiective when the relay is deenergized but not when it is energized by current or either polarity.

3. In combination, a stretch of railway track containing a switch and provided with at least two track sections successively occupied by a train ap proaching the switch, a track circuit including a track relay for each of said sections, a polar approach locking relay, means for supplying said polar relay with current of normal or reverse polarity according as the track relay for the sec: tion more remote from the switch is closed or open provided the other track relay is closed, and for deenergizing said polar relay when the said other track relay is open, an approach indicating device,

a circuit for said device including a back. neutral contact and a reverse polar contact of said relay connected in multiple, and locking means for said switch controlled by a front neutral contact of said relay.

l. In combination, a stretch of railway track containing a switch and provided with at least two track sections successively occupied by a train approaching the switch, a polar approach locking relay, means for supplying said polar relay with current of normal or reverse polarity according as the section more remote from the switch is unoccupied or occupied provided the other section is unoccupied and for deenergizing the polar relay when said other section is occupied, an approach indicating device controlled by said energized and also when it is energized in reverse direction but not when it is energized in normal direction, a slow releasing relay controlled by a front neutral contact of said polar relay, and locking means for said switch controlled by said slow releasing relay.

5. In combination, a stretch of railway track containing a switch and provided with at least two track sections successively occupied by a train approaching the switch, a track circuit including a track relay for each of said sections, a polar approach locking relay, means for supplying said polar relay with current of normal or reverse polarity according as the track relay for the section more remote from the switch is closed or open provided the other track relay is closed and for deencrgizing said polar relay when the said other track r lay is open, means operating when said polar relay is energized by current of reverse polarity but not when it is energized by current of normal polarity to indicate that one of said sections is occupied by a train, and locking means for said switch controlled by said polar relay and effective when the relay is deenergized but not 71,10 when it is energized by current of either polarity.

current of normal or reverse polarity according as the section more remote from the switch is unoccupied or occupied provided the other section is unoccupied and for deenergizing the polar relay when said other section is unoccupied, means operating when said polar relay is energized by current of reverse polarity but not when it is energized by current of normal polarity to indicate that one of said sections isoccupied by a train, and locking means for said switch controlled by said polar relay and effective when the relay is deenergized but not when it is energized by current of either polarity.

7. In combination, a stretch of railway track containing a switch and provided with at least two track sections successively occupied by a train approaching the switch, a track circuit including a track relay for each of said sections, a polar approach locking relay, means for supplying said polar relay with current of normal or reverse polarity according as the track relay for the section more remote from the switch is closed or open provided the other track relay is closed and for deenergizing said polar relay when the said other track relay is open, an approach indicating device, a circuit for said device including a reverse polar contact of said relay, and locking means for said switch controlled by a front neutral'contact of said relay.

8. Incombination, a stretch of railway track containing a switch and provided with at least two track sections successively occupied by a train approaching the switch, a polar approach locking relay, means .for supplying said polar relay with current of normal or reverse polarity according as the section more remote from the switch is unoccupied or occupied provided the other section is unoccupied and for deenergizing the polar relay when said other section is occupied, an ap- 

